(L-R: FRLA 2025 Chairman of the Board Nick Sarra, FRLA Restaurateur of the Year Michael Quillen, FRLA President & CEO Carol Dover)
TALLAHASSEE, FL – At the 2025 Hospitality Stars of the Industry Gala, the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA) awarded Restaurateur of the Year to Mike Quillen, a longtime Sarasota restaurateur who oversees 15 Florida and North Carolina restaurants and bars as President of Watershed Hospitality Concepts, Gecko’s Hospitality Group, and Cashiers Restaurant Holdings. With his win, Quillen was inducted into the FRLA Hall of Fame during the ceremony, which was held recently at the Henderson Beach Resort in Destin.
“Mike Quillen represents the very best of Florida’s hospitality industry – visionary leadership, deep community engagement, and an unwavering passion for excellence,” said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association. “Mike’s legacy extends far beyond the success of his restaurants – it lives in the thousands of people he has mentored and the careers he has shaped. His dedication to training, empowering, and retaining great employees has set the standard for our entire industry, and his impact on Florida’s restaurant landscape has been extraordinary. We are proud to honor him as our 2025 Restaurateur of the Year and induct him into the FRLA Hall of Fame.”
The Hospitality Stars of the Industry Gala pays tribute to restaurant and lodging operators and suppliers from across the Sunshine State for their remarkable work in hospitality. The Hall of Fame distinction is reserved for visionary leaders whose decades of service, dedication, and passion have left a lasting impact on Florida’s hospitality industry.
“I’m deeply honored to receive this award from the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, an organization that has played such a pivotal role in shaping the direction of my career and any success I’ve achieved along the way,” said Mike Quillen, 2025 FRLA Restaurateur of the Year. “I share this recognition with the incredible team members that I’ve had the privilege to work alongside of over the years. Our shared dedication, passion to hospitality, and hard work have made this possible, and I’m grateful to share this award with them.”
Michael Quillen is President of three independent restaurant groups operating 15 locations across Florida and North Carolina, including Gecko’s Grill & Pub, Dry Dock Waterfront Grill, Tripletail Seafood & Spirits, Cask & Ale, Pie on Main, Lefty’s Oyster & Seafood Bar, and Micas Mountain Kitchen, to name a few. Since opening the flagship Gecko’s Grill & Pub in Sarasota in 1992, Quillen has cultivated award-winning concepts with over 800 employees, low management turnover, and a hands-on leadership style that emphasizes hospitality, community engagement, and promoting from within.
Classically trained in corporate, franchise, and family-owned restaurants, Quillen blends business acumen, operational expertise, and a strong work ethic to create thriving, polished casual dining experiences. His leadership has earned multiple “Best Of” guest awards, the National Restaurant Association’s Florida Restaurant Neighbor Award five consecutive years, and the national Restaurant Neighbor Award in 2017. He personally received the Florida Cornerstone Humanitarian Award four years in a row. Quillen serves on the boards of FRLA, the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, the Argus Foundation, Selby Gardens, Visit Sarasota County, and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office Charitable Foundation. A graduate of Leadership Florida, he studied History and Political Science at New College and attended State College of Florida on a tennis scholarship. He and his wife, Mary, have two daughters.
To learn more about Mike Quillen and his restaurant concepts, please watch the FRLA Hall of Fame Video here.
About FRLA: The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) is Florida’s premier non-profit hospitality industry trade association. Founded in 1946 as the Florida Restaurant Association, FRLA merged with the Florida Hotel and Motel Association in 2006. FRLA’s more than 10,000 members include independent hoteliers and restaurateurs, household name franchises, theme parks and suppliers. The association’s mission is to protect, educate and promote Florida’s nearly $112 billion hospitality industry and its two million employees. Dedicated to safeguarding the needs of the membership, FRLA provides legislative advocacy to ensure the voices of its members are heard and their interests are protected. The association offers regulatory compliance and food safety training through Safe Staff® and FRLA’s subsidiary, RCS Training. The FRLA Educational Foundation provides industry-developed, career-building high school programs throughout the state.
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